Reducing antibiotic use in livestock production is essential for human health, but the welfare implications of doing so must be carefully managed to avoid increasing animal suffering.
Antibiotic stewardship in livestock must be implemented alongside genuine husbandry improvements to avoid a welfare trap. Simply reducing antibiotics in crowded, stressed animals increases disease prevalence and suffering. The evidence shows that higher-welfare production systems — with lower densities, better ventilation, and enriched environments — naturally require fewer antibiotics because animals are healthier. This creates a powerful alignment between AMR reduction goals and animal welfare improvements. Policies that incentivise welfare improvements alongside antibiotic reduction achieve both objectives simultaneously.